How Beautiful the Beloved

Gregory Orr continues his acclaimed project on the "beloved" with a lyrical sequence about the joys and hungers of being fully engaged in life. Through concise, perfectly formed poems, he wakes us to the ecstatic possibilities of recognizing and risking love. Mary Oliver has called this project "gorgeous," and said that he "speaks of the events that have no larger or more important rival in our lives-of our love and our loving." If to say it once And once only, then still To say: Yes. And say it complete, Say it as if the word Filled the whole moment With its absolute saying. Later for "but," Later for "if." Now Only the single syllable That is the beloved. That is the world.